“What the hell are they doing!?” screamed Captain Figaro, his brown beard whipping over his shoulder as he turned back to his crew.

Captain Figaro had been watching his armada systematically devolve into chaos for some time now. Through his spyglass he observed one ship overrun with slaves, another attacked by a damn Carachorus before burning and sinking, and finally two others break their illusion and engage the ports defenders. The Deep Dwellers vessels were sleek and narrow with one main sail each all sporting a different figure head depicting the noble house that sponsored their construction. Currently two of Captain Figaro’s ships were engaging four vessels each from house Smitehammer. This was a complete disaster. There was supposed to be six ships not five. The last never showed and price would have to be paid for that bit of treachery. Figaro paced back over to the port side of his ship and lifted his spy glass again. The ship overrun with slaves had lowered their jolly roger and raised a white flag. They began to veer away from the wrecked ship and the naval battle that had begun.

Captain Figaro activated the far seeing enchantment on the spyglass and searched for whoever was helming the vessel. He stopped immediately upon recognizing a blue skinned, green haired elf. The list of invectives that poured from his mouth would not soon be forgotten by anyone that was in earshot.

“Shamir! Wavestrider is on the furthest ship. Bring him back here at once. Kill anyone that gets in your way. Once you return, we will be leaving this ill fated venture. I want that sea elf back in chains within the hour. Am I understood?” ordered Captain Figaro.

Shamir was the Crustacio first mate. He wore a red bandana over his head but little else. His body was composed mainly of grey and green carapace. It often gave the appearance of deep corral, but it was as tough as iron. He had two arms and two legs, with a head attached to a neck more akin to a sea cucumber than a regular humanoids throat.

Shamir nodded once, crouched into a three point stance, and looked to his captain before the wooden deck below him bent downward before launching him like a catapult. He flew over two large waves before plummeting into the depths. Once below the surface of the water, Shamir propelled himself forward at the speed of a jet ski. The water seemed to corkscrew around his body as he zipped through the brine.

“Captain, you should send me as well. I know what the secondary target looks like,” complained the bosun.

“You failed to retrieve the elf on land which is your specialty. Ocean hunting is Shamir’s specialty. Now get back to swabbing that deck before I have the deck swab you,” stated Captain Figaro.

Deacon now found himself in a conundrum. The defenders were actively engaging two ships that must have dropped their illusions. They were done for, and he could only hope the slaves would be freed once the overwhelming odds finally got to those captains. Four on one were terrible odds. But from their position in the ocean they could see a fifth and final ship. These painting based illusions only worked from one angle. From the shore or the port you couldn’t see the ships. Beyond a certain threshold they were right there. Far enough out to sea and it was just a line of ships. Deacon really didn’t understand how it worked but Tantus did his best to ty and explain it.

The fifth ship was too far away, and Deacon was down to only one hundred percent soul energy in the tank. The damage done by that demon goat had all but healed. Once the hidden quest reward dropped into his hand, it began to sizzle his flesh like raw meat on a BBQ. It quickly went into his bag after that. After climbing back up onto the ship he reviewed the items details one more time.

Hellfire Crystal- This is a crystal containing raw hellfire. This is not just condensed infernal energy. Hellfire is concentrated perdition. Pain and suffering for the unrepentant. It’s used to cleanse the concept of sin. Once broken it will scour a five yard diameter of anything. Be very careful with the Hellfire Crystal.

Deacon had no idea what he was going to do with that or why it would be given as a quest reward. It just seemed pretty bad all around. A shiver ran down his spine just thinking about it. He promised himself never to bring it up to anyone.

‘That is a most dangerous prize. I doubt even I would survive contact with it,’ spoke Sun Wu into Deacon’s mind.

“Yea well, let’s keep that one under our hat,” Deacon said aloud.

“I’m the only one here with a hat,” replied Hani, he then proceeded to spin it around in a wide arc.

Several of the older slaves clapped which just encouraged Hani to do more hat based tricks. Deacon just snickered and walked toward some of the others. He was halfway across the deck, weaving through people, when he noticed Jeremiah waving to him. Deacon switched directions and started to head that way until he got fed up and went insubstantial freaking our many groups of celebrating freed slaves.

As soon as he got within ear shot of Jeremiah, a huge wave rocked the ship. The captain started barking out orders to his crew as water poured onto the deck boards. Along with the water came a six foot tall humanoid with a rocky grey and green appearance. It immediately struck a bystander with his right fist. A coin sized hole opened in the persons chest, and they lifted off the ground about six inches before slamming into other people.

Jeremiah took in a sharp breath and tried to run but there were just too many people on the deck of this ship. The lumbering assailant began batting people out of his way before the crowd generally gave him a wide berth. He towered over Jeremiah before lifting his left hand which held shiny new slave collar. Shamir grabbed Jeremiah by the hair with his right hand and lifted the collar to his neck. Just as the clasps were about to lock the whole collar turned to metal shavings and scattered all over Jeremiah’s shoulders. That made Shamir look up to see Deacon pulling back his right hand and pointing at him with his left.

“Let him go. You and me. We’re throwing down right here, right now,” said Deacon.

People started to scramble away from them in all directions. Some even going down to lower decks. Shamir still hadn’t let go of Jeremiah’s hair. Shamir turned his head toward Deacon and tilted it impossibly to the side. It was as if he had no vertebrae in his neck. Then he tossed Jeremiah by the hair over the railing of the ship while striking out at Deacon at the same time. Deacon used Spectral Dodge sensing power welling in up in the left fist that was about to strike him. As Deacon slid around to the side of Shamir, he could see a pointy cone of water was spinning from the creatures knuckles. That must be how he poked a hole in the first person he attacked.

“Neat trick. Not much of a talker, are you?” bantered Deacon.

Shamir slowly turned toward Deacon’s new position. He pulled back his hand to attack again but his arm was stopped by a metal hand. Alfred had joined the fight. Shamir was confused by the appearance of a metal man. He tried wrenching his arm free, but Alfred held tight. That was when he just bent down and folded himself at a bizarre angle. Shamir scooped up Alfred and slammed him on his back on the deck. Alfred was ended up rolling back and forth like a turtle trying to get back up. After Deacon saw that he dove right back into the fight.

Deacon opened up with a roundhouse to the head which Shamir tanked. It just stood there as Deacon’s foot landed. An almost hollow seashell bonk sounded from inside it’s head. Deacon’s eyes went wide as the creature didn’t even move. Then it was Shamir’s turn. He’d obviously had enough of the fighting as a sphere of water burst around his body throwing anyone nearby back five feet. Bodies were launched in all directions as Shamir made for the port side of the ship, he threw Jeremiah off of. Deacon fired off a Nether beam at his legs in hopes of slowing the creature down. It worked. He had one foot on the railing and a one foot frozen to the deck. That was when Deacon heard a bizarre screeching coming from inside of Shamir’s body. The next second Shamir ripped his leg free leaving everything below the knee frozen to the deck. Then he pitched himself into the ocean below.

“It doesn’t like the cold,” yelled Tantus from the other end of the ship.

Deacon dove off the deck into he water after Shamir and Jeremiah. As soon as Deacon hit the water he was being spun in a rapid circle. There appeared to be a Deacon sized whirlpool that appeared at his point of entry. Deacon clamped down on his oxygen supply and tried to use his aura to spot an attack while he was whirling faster and faster. It was only then he realized trying to fight this guy in the water was a bad idea.

Jeremiah, seeing Deacon was in trouble, sped over to his location only to be intercepted by Shamir. Shamir’s left leg just looked like a pink mass of wriggling flesh from the knee down. That did not change the level of danger Jeremiah was in. Then the waters all around them started getting colder. Small slivers of green ice began popping up everywhere. That got Shamir’s attention and he turned back to see Deacon in the midst of the whirlpool spinning cross legged with his eyes closed. There were shards of ice popping up all around his body. Shamir wasn’t having it. Sharp temperature drops were deadly for his people. It slowed their movements and made their outer shells brittle.

Shamir blasted through the trap he left for Deacon and closed his hands around his neck. Deacon’s eyes popped open. He had less than one hundred soul energy now and any of his big attacks were out of the question. Shamir kept squeezing his throat and it was a long time since Deacon had a full breath of air. This might actually kill him. Deacon’s concentration was broken as he tried to peel the iron grip of Shamir’s hands from around his throat. Without concentrating he couldn’t continue lowering the temperature. Then he felt his heartbeat slowing and the edges of his vision began to darken. He received a slate notification he had no time to read before shoving his hands into the empty sockets that held Shamir’s eye stalks. No doubt it was another asphyxiation message. With every bit of strength left in his body, Deacon yanked hard on those stalks. The eyes pulled right out followed by rivers of blood and meaty chunks of translucent meat. Jeremiah joined Deacon pulling more and more of Shamir’s internals out of the shell before the body went still. It was already too late as Shamir had been dragging them deeper and deeper into the ocean the whole time. Not even Jeremiah could get Deacon back to the surface before he would drown.

Deacon found himself in an aquarium. There were fish of all colors and sizes swimming past the glass in front of him. There was even a little house burbling air bubbles into the tank. This didn’t make any sense to Deacon. He was just in the Solace Sea with Jeremiah. He had no idea how he got here.

“Ahem. If you could just sign here, please. We can get you back to the world of the living,” came a familiar voice from behind Deacon.

“Did I drown?” asked Deacon as he turned to face the reaper.

“Yes and no. Yes, you died from drowning, but it was more murder than anything else. Sign here in triplicate, please. Your group will now tithe forty percent of your defeated enemies souls to Bael now. You’d think at this point you would be more careful. Three deaths and all. One day we won’t be sending you back,” muttered the reaper.

“Um… thanks,” replied Deacon as he signed.

“Wait just a second. The great Bael has decided to gift you a loyalty bonus for your continued contribution. Here,” said the reaper as she gestured with one hand.

Deacon had a flash of his memories of drowning and a dark blue halo winked into existence behind him. It traveled counterclockwise before disappearing again.

“Just another few moments for your companion to get your body out of the water and we’ll send you back,” added the reaper.

Deacon didn’t pay any attention to what she was saying as he reviewed his slate prompts.

You have consumed energy from eight out of ten hells, see your specialization quest for updates.

Quest Update: Class Specialization Quest- Create sympathetic links to five more planar dimensions. Three out of five linked. Rewards- Legendary Specialization unlocked.

“Hey, do you know what I just linked too?” Deacon asked the reaper.

“Seriously? Didn’t you just die in the ocean? Dark Waters obviously. Its where all who die at sea end up. It’s where you are right now,” replied an exasperated reaper.